There is NO SUCH THING as 12 AM or 12 PM

Noon is the time between AM and PM, midnight is the time between PM and AM. Check your auto insurance policy and get an effective date/time... it will usually say 11:59 PM or 12:01 AM... They aren't about to be fooled.

The abbreviations "a.m." and "p.m." stand for "ante meridiem" and "post meridiem," which mean "before noon" and "after noon," respectively. Since noon is neither before noon nor after noon, a designation of either a.m. or p.m. is incorrect. Also, midnight is both twelve hours before noon and twelve hours after noon.

Since the Latin word meridies means noon or midday, it is illogical to refer to noon as either "12 a.m." ("12 ante meridiem", or "12 o'clock before noon") or as "12 p.m." ("12 post meridiem", or "12 o'clock after noon"). On the other hand, midnight could logically be called either "12 p.m." (12 post meridiem, 12 hours after the previous noon) or "12 a.m." (12 ante meridiem, 12 hours before the following noon).

The correct designation for twelve o'clock is 12 noon or 12 midnight. As mentioned before, the abbreviation a.m. stands for ante meridiem (before the Sun has crossed the line) and p.m. for post meridiem (after the Sun has crossed the line). At 12 noon the Sun is at its highest point in the sky and directly over the meridian. It is therefore neither "ante" nor "post".

/rant

*steps down from my soapbox*

well, if you know what i mean by 12 am or 12 pm, then it is grammatically correct.

Well, OK, sure, BUT

Language is a thing that is alive. It constantly grows new words and meanings and deletes other words and or meanings. When I was young the word 'Wicked' meant very bad person. Now it can mean very cool person or wonderful ice cream.

How people use language is up to the society. Just because a word meant something thousands of years ago does not indicate its current usage.

If you want to use legalize to stipulate the meaning of a word then ....................... you must be a lawer and them is bad people, wicked in fact, the ole wicked!

I do much prefer 12.00 noon but that was the way I was taught as a youngster.

Now you may once again ascend your soapbox.

P

Pointless but true!

It's similar to the concept of a point. It defines a specific point in space, BUT it is so small that it has no physical appearance. It doesn't exist apart from describing itself as a location.

So while most people equate noon with consuming dead animal flesh, or midnight with deep haunting moonlit clouds up on high, illuminating the darkness into a creeping collection of sinister shadows... They're just marks on the clock. Definitions of a time in space.

Does 0 exist?

Or do we only notice it by the lack of anything else when it appears?

reply to post by randomname


That's just the problem. Is midnight a.m. or is noon a.m. ? I learned that noon and midnight were neither. That's why they are called noon and midnight.

reply to post by pheonix358


I'm not a lawyer, far from it. It just confuses the heck out of me when I see "12 am" or "12 pm". I'm never sure what time it means.

words can mean anything you want. If you have a friend and decide between the two of you that ice cream is going to mean milk from now on and milk means ice cream, between the two of you, thats what its going to mean.
Its all relative

when I was a kid I thought am and pm meant, after midday and past midnight

Originally posted by N3k9Ni
reply to post by pheonix358

 

I'm not a lawyer, far from it. It just confuses the heck out of me when I see "12 am" or "12 pm". I'm never sure what time it means.

I agree wholeheartedly. The actual reason for the confusion is down to bedside digital clocks. That is when this nonsense started. I kid you not!

P

Originally posted by winofiend

It's similar to the concept of a point. It defines a specific point in space, BUT it is so small that it has no physical appearance. It doesn't exist apart from describing itself as a location.

That's a very good comparison. Noon and midnight are points in time that are used to separate the morning and evening. Hence, they are neither am nor pm.

That's a little anal, but I did learn something. I'll try and keep it in mind.

Originally posted by Ireminisce
That's a little anal, but I did learn something. I'll try and keep it in mind.

Thank you... I think

reply to post by N3k9Ni


Most certainly welcome!